About Fresca at Irving Street

Fresca crafts delightful Peruvian and Latin American fare in its charming eatery. Appetizer options include the sirloin beef empanada, the five-spice chicken chicharron and the ceviche chifa with ahi tuna, pickled daikon and jalapeno. House specialty entrées, such as the luscious seafood paella stuffed with clams, shrimp, chorizo and chicken, and the beef churrasco with egg and chimichurri sauce, speak to Fresca's passion for authentic Latin cuisine. A sensational brunch menu is also a highlight at Fresca, with items like the sweet potato pancakes with rum raisin syrup and the Fresca Benedict topped with Peruvian chili.

The food was amazing! There were four of us, we started with the Ceviche Chifa and extra Plantians, Fabulous! Even my husband who doesn't like Ceviche loved it.For entrees, we had Adobo De Chancho, (slow braised pork), Aji De Gallina (pulled chicken stew in aji amarillo cream sauce) and Pescado Sudado ( poached Mahi, clams in Ahi panca chile broth) to die for!The waiter was a delight, attentive but not over bearing, there when you needed him. the Ambiance is colorful and just makes one feel happy.We can't wait to go back, there were so many other items that we want to try!

While our waitress was very nice, the service overall was extremely slow. It took awhile just to get menus brought to us after we were seated. And we literally had to ask for water and our bill. Those things should be automatically provided. The food was good, but not anything amazing. With all the other great options available in the neighborhood, I probably would not be returning.

Duck entree was superbly cooked (med rare) and presented, worth sharing between 2 guests as a big appetizer. Crab salad, although quite tiny (large amuse bouche size), was delicious. Albondigas lamb meatballs were incredibly dry & over cooked, we should have returned them to the kitchen. Our server was fabulous, attentive, understated, an asset to the restaurant. She was patient with all of my friend's questions and also gave excellent wine advice. Our hostess was an excellent greeter.

Overall, a good experience and good food. They were able to accommodate for our large party at the last minute. Only wish that they did a better job with the bottomless mimosas!! Several times I needed to ask for a refill. I wanted more 🍾🍾🍾🍾🍾!!

Service was excellent. Restaurant is clean and interior decor and lighting is good.

Overall, Fresca is a good chain but to be honest our meal in this new link in their chain had too much salt. Was drinking lots of water that night. Something so simple is not forgivable when you are paying well for their food.

I'd give them 4 stars but the salt issue is a real problem. I'll give them one more try before writing them off. Could have been a mistake by someone in the kitchen.

The food is very good here, a balance between what an upper class Peruvian might eat and the chef's experience in Europe. I sometimes find the food a bit fussy - too many ingredients - but that seems to reflect the Peruvian basis of the menus. One of my companions found the rice too spicy but the lamb shank it went with excellent. I had branzino (sea bass) cooked whole against fire, and it was perfect. The reason I didn't give five stars to the restaurant is that I feel the need to leave room for those outstanding restaurants found occasionally and not in every city where the food is exquisitely better than even the best.

I found the food to be fair but not great. We started with Ceviche which was overpowering in lime to the point of being distasteful. I ordered the pulled pork which came with rice and beans.It was so salty that the flavor was lost. I think perhaps the chef needs to have someone else sample his/her cooking as obviously there are some taste bud issues there.

Had a wonderful meal here! The menu was loaded with yummy choices...everything we ordered was beyond yummy! High quality very fresh and perfectly prepared. The beet salad is a must, we had the duck and it was wonderful! Some of the best food we have had in a long time. Will be back. The chef happened to be there that night and he was so friendly milling around chatting with everyone and handing out jello shots! What a fun evening it was from start to finish!

This is our first time at this Fresca and we loved every bit of it. From the excellent greeter, to our magnificent server Ivan and his assistant, to the scrumptious food, it was all first class, five stars all the way. I had trucha (sans head/tail of the trout at my request), and my husband had paella and empanadas. Ille coffee too. YUM!

Tags: Fit for Foodies, Good for Groups, Great for Brunch, Great for Lunch, Kid-friendly, Neighborhood Gem

Really good overall. We had the pisco sours which are excellent. My mum particularly enjoyed the trout dish which was flavorful without being spicy. We also had the tenderloin strips and rotisserie chicken which were very good too. Highly recommended.

The everything we got was delicious!! You can't go wrong with any of the ceviches and the empanadas were the best I've ever had! Every plate left us wanting more and we can't wait to go back and try new things!

Suggest going earlier in the evening or during the week......we went Friday night and it was noisy, large 25 perons group behinde us standing and talking loudly, however food was excellent! This Frescas has the BEST chief......a true professional, Loma Saltado was excellent.

Our family outing to Fresca was a massive success. The staff was smiling and attentive the whole time. A little kid was 100% accommodated (and loved her sweet potato pancake and even happily ate the fruit and toppings, to her parents' surprise). Two cilantro allergies were worked around with care. The portions are very generous, and everything was incredibly tasty. The food is authentic for the most part, but with some fusion-y dishes thrown into the mix. We will come back at the very next opportunity!

Tags: Fit for Foodies, Good for Groups, Great for Brunch, Great for Lunch, Kid-friendly, Neighborhood Gem

We have been 3 times in the past month (2 dinners, 1 brunch). The food is consistently great! Cocktails and beers are also creative.If you want more upscale dining in the inner sunset this is one of the few places to go.

We were in the area and looking for a convenient restaurant. We could not have done better than Fresca, which had well prepared, creative food, served by an excellent and helpful wait staff. The food portions were generous and the decor was also fine. It is lucky we needed to eat early, as the restaurant was quite full by the time we were finished. Given all of its positives, that was not surprising.

The food was super amazing but the waiter took forever to come to our table after we were seated and when we asked about the happy hour which brought us in (they are a big sign outside) he told us that it was over and that it only pertained to the bar...

After that the service was ok but nothing more. I'd expect a little more from a $120+ dinner for two.

We've been here twice and enjoy the good food, great service and love that it's right in our neighborhood. We've gone to the one in West Portal but glad we have it within walking distance now. Our favorite dish is the chicken stew! It has a nice spicey kick to it ! The staff is always nice and friendly and always right there to fill our glass and ask how everything is. We will definitely keep coming back here.

One of the guests in our group is Peruvian. He says the food was very authentic. It was a bit pricey, though. I had the Adobo de Chancho. (Lamb). I highly recommend it. Don't order the Inca Cola or Coca Cola (Mexico). They come in an 8 oz bottle or so and cost $4. Instead order a soda from the bar.Other great dishes I suggest are Lomo Saltado ( sliced steak and French fries with tomatoes and onions, etc) and any of the fish entrees..

It was a lovely Saturday evening with a reservation at 7:30, and the two of us were hoping fora quiet intimate dinner. What's were it fell apart. The greeter wason the phone for over 10 minutes without acknowledging that I ws standing in front of him. Finally seated, we started with the ceviche sampler with plantain chips, and that was wonderful, except that we weren't half way throughwhen our entrees arrived. Entrees, rotiserie chicken and lamb shank were excellent. Thenoise level was sohigh that I could listen to people at tables across the other side of the small room, while my companion and I tried to maintain a conversation in this din. Wait staff was attentive and very helpful. Will try the other two Fresca Restaurants and hope for a better dining experience.

This restaurant used to be called Pasion. The ceviche was still good. The albondigas (lamb meatballs) were not nearly as good as they used to be. The salad, veggie skewer and fish entrees were all good. The lamb shank was too fatty. The flan dessert was pretty good as well.

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